


A Puzzling Question

by Serai



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Comfort, Dialogue Fic, Exploration, M/M, Men Are Weird, New Things, owowow, wondering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 14:52:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5008933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serai/pseuds/Serai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pippin asks Merry's help in Trying A New Thing, and in so doing Learns An Important Lesson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Puzzling Question

.  
“Oh…Merry…ahh”

“Shh, Pippin, lie still. I think…there…”

“Ah, Merry! Wait…”

“Here, Pip, here. Try moving your leg…”

“No, I can’t…Merry…ow!”

Panting.

“No, oh, Merry, stop!”

“Stop? Are you sure?”

“Yes, please. Ah! Stop, Merry…”

“Alright, alright. Let me just…there.”

A sound like a pent-up breath released, like a sob.

“Shh, Pip. Come here.”

“Merry, it _hurt.”_

“Shh. Well, of course it hurt. I can’t imagine why you wanted to in the first place.”

“I just…”

“It’s alright, Pip. Let’s just rest, alright?”

 

“Pip?”

“Yes, Merry?”

“Why’d you want to?”

“What?”

“Why’d you ask me to do that?”

“Oh.” Silence. Then – “Curiosity, I suppose.”

“Curiosity? Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“Ach, I’m serious.”

“Go on, then. What made you curious?"

A long pause, gathering.

“It was the whispers, I think. That last night before we reached the Black Gate. We all knew what was coming the next day. I couldn’t sleep for the fright of it, you know, even though I was exhausted from pretending to be brave.

“So I got up and walked about a bit. There were no fires, so it was chilly. I could see the men huddled in their blankets, rows and rows of them. I went quietly, because I didn’t want to wake anyone. And I began to hear them.

“It was only here and there, mind you, not many. But I could hear the rustling of blankets, and other sounds. Always very low, and it seemed the others ignored it. But there were whispers, and now and then something a bit louder.

“I knew what they were doing. After two weeks of traveling with the men, I puzzled it out, not having anyone to ask, you see. But that night…those sounds made me wonder for the first time what it might be like, what they were doing. It made me go all hot and cold at the same time. I missed you so, Merry.”

“I know, Pip. And I missed you, so often.”

“Do you know what I’m talking about, Merry?”

“Yes. At least I know about the men. It was the same with the Horsemen. On the last night before battle, it seemed some of them took that kind of comfort. So you wanted to know what it was like?”

“Not just that, I don’t think. It was also that I – “ A pause again. “I think I wanted…”

“You wanted to be like them?”

“I suppose.”

“But we’re not like them, Pip.”

“We’re like enough! Gandalf told me men and hobbits were related, long ago.”

“It’s not the same. We’re not men, Pip. We’re hobbits. It’s not our way.”

“Aye, I know that _now.”_

A laugh. “You foolish Took. Come here.”

Yawning. “Mm, Merry. Why do you think they do such things?”

A warm kiss pressed into Pippin’s hair. “I suppose it's because they don’t hug enough.”

Sleepy limbs entwine. The two hobbits wrap themselves around each other and, cocooned comfortably together, they slept.  
.


End file.
